Girls' name · since 1923
Debby
Debby has 9,697 recorded births since 1923 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1959 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1,706 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 9,697
- born since 1923
- 1950s
- peak decade
Debby sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 9,697 recorded since 1923.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Debby has been recorded 9,697 times among girls since 1923, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1923 to 2016.
- #1,706 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 9,697 born since 1923
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Debby ranks #1,706 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 9,697 born since 1923, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1,706 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 9,697
- born since 1923
- 1950s
- peak decade
Debby's 9,697 recorded births place it above 97.64% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
48 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
Debby's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Debby's full recorded timeline at 1972, 9% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 91% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1923, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1959 peak of 890 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Debby popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1923–2016
- Peak year (1959)
- 890
- Annual births at peak, across 94 years of records
Debby by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (4,460 births, 46% of the file).
1950s was Debby's strongest decade.
4,460 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Debby births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 12
1920s
12 births
- 1930s 96
1930s
96 births
- 1940s 750
1940s
750 births
- 1950s
1950s
4,460 births
- 1960s
1960s
3,354 births
- 1970s 564
1970s
564 births
- 1980s 216
1980s
216 births
- 1990s 127
1990s
127 births
- 2000s 73
2000s
73 births
- 2010s 45
2010s
45 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 4,460 births (46% of all-time use).
How Debby compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Debby's total volume
Debby by state
Where Debby concentrates geographically, total births since 1923
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,000 | 10.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 580 | 6.0% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 552 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 539 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Texas | | 444 | 4.6% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 433 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 391 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 268 | 2.8% |
1,000 of 9,697 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Debby appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Debby? ▼
Where does Debby sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Debby most popular? ▼
Where is Debby most popular? ▼
How long has the name Debby been used? ▼
What names are similar to Debby? ▼
What to do with Debby's data
- Debby's decade-level peak was the 1950s (4,460 total births); usage has since declined to 45 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Debbys (1,000 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Debby
Nearby Names Like Debby
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Debby
Compare Debby side by side: Debby vs Deborah Debby vs Debra Debby vs Debbie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Debby: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1959)
Similar record span (~93 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1923–2016 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Debby draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.